Saturday, September 15, 2018

By user request, the Chrome extension MedBetterDNA, used for actively filtering AncestryDNA results (and showing notes on the main results page) has been updated to version 3.0, supporting eight hashtag filters for "show only" and "remove all" filters. This is double the previous maximum of four hashtag filters. Note that using more filters may increase time to fully process a Results page.

In anticipation of future similar requests, please also note that further increasing the number of filters isn't simply a matter of pumping up a number in the extension code. The extension is pushing the limits with the current code structure, and adding more filters in the future, if ever, will likely require significant rewrites to large portions of the extension's program code. I'm not saying it won't ever happen, I'm saying it won't happen soon or easy.

Post to support if you experience problems with the update or extension operation.

MedBetterBuy is designed for eBay users who want greater control over their search results. The extension filters eBay searches to hide item entries from sellers who have a feedback score or rating percentage below or above values you specify, as well as the ability to filter out Top-rated sellers.

IMPORTANT: To use this script, check the Seller Information box in Show details of View Customize, which will display seller information in listings. Choose List View and not Gallery View. Otherwise, the information to filter will not be available, and MedBetterBuy will not work.

MedBetterBuy works via the context menu, generally accessed through right click or control-click of the mouse. There are five possible filters to apply to search listing from the menu: if a listing is from a top seller, a minimum and maximum rating percentage for the seller in a listing, and a minimum and maximum rating count for the seller in a listing.

The values for minimum and maximum can be set at the Configure options pages, which is the last selection on MedBetterBuy's context menu. Each filter can be checked on and off from the context menu. The current total of filtered out (not visible) listing is shown on the first line of the context menu.

Always refresh or reload the results page listing after changing a value, or checking and unchecking a filter. Although the page can dynamically change, the filter count and previously hidden entries may not properly update without a page refresh.

This extension has been tested with registered and unregistered use of USA's ebay.com. Other country sites currently use different internal website patterns. Support for more countries may be added later, based on user requests and feedback, as well as the effort to include more patterns.

For the contrary-minded, there is no prohibition or check against choosing values which will hide all unsponsored items in a listing, e.g. a Rating Score of greater than 100 will filter out all entries, as will a minimum count higher than the maximum. Zero values are ignored and treated as not active/checked.

Note that eBay can update–and have previously updated–their sites' structure in ways which cause the extension to fail, as it depends on a predictable internal pattern. Please report if MedBetterBuy fails after a site update, so it can be revised to work with eBay's modified website structure, if feasible.

MedBetterBuy is based on the abef (A Better eBay Filter) Greasemonkey script that I developed and first released several years ago.

Below is a write-up of the original AbefGreasemonkey script. Note that I am, preliminarily, working on a Chrome extension which provide similar features to the script, although no release date is available and it may not work out as planned.

A Better eBay Filter is a script designed for users of eBay. It filters eBay searches to hide item entries from sellers who have a feedback score or positive percentage below values you specify, or above for feedback score, or filter out Top-rated sellers. The input values can be dynamically changed to filter items into or out of view. Last values are saved between browsing sessions. Use A Better eBay Filter to winnow the display of auctions to sellers that match your preferences. The script has been tested on USA's ebay.com, Canada's ebay.ca, and UK's ebay.co.uk sites. It may work with other country sites, depending on whether they match the internals of the tested eBay sites.

NOTE: For this script to work properly, choose List View (not Gallery View), and turn on the Seller details option in Customize View, so that the seller information is displayed in the listings.

A Better eBay Filter requires seller feedback information to be displayed on each item entry so it can filter the results. After installing A Better eBay Filter, go to a listing or search screen. Click the View link at the top of the listings and choose Customize. This will navigate you to the Customize your search page. On that page, you should see a selection titled Seller Information. Check the box so that seller information is displayed in listing views. Note the exact wording may change depending on the site's native language.

After installation and setup, A Better eBay filter will display two status lines immediately below the basic Search line. The first status line shows the minimum feedback score and positive feedback percentage necessary to display an item entry. The initial values of 50 and 98.5 are forgiving, but easy to change. In addition, you may specify a maximum feedback score, or leave it blank if you do not wish a maximum: zero is not the same as blank. The default is blank (no maximum). In addition, there is a checkbox to filter out Top-rated Sellers. The second line displays an Update Filter button and the current number of items hidden from view by the filter.

You can change the score and percentage values to whatever you want. For example, if you do not want to hide new user auctions, you can change the feedback score to 1 (or 0) and see those auctions. Should you change a value, the filtered items message changes to a Values changed. message. This is an indication to press the Update Filter button to update the display with the new filter constraints. Each time you press Update Filter, the current values are stored for a future browser session or search/listing page display. You are not prohibited from choosing values which will hide all items, e.g. a Minimum positive feedback input of greater than 100 will filter out all entries, as will a minimum score higher than the maximum.